1979+solo+-+Studio+Sessions

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Part One - Solo Sessions (January 1979 - February 1980) Overview

The following solo acoustic practice recordings span about a 12-month period, from early 1979 to early 1980. They can be broken down into three general groupings:

1) Recordings made January 1979 to June 1979 that loosely served as a basis for the March – August 1979 "first leg" of studio sessions for //The River// album. 2) Recordings made September to December 1979 that loosely served as a basis for the October 1979 – May 1980 "second leg" of studio sessions for //The River// album. 3) Recordings made January to February 1980 that loosely served as a basis for the January – June 1980 "third leg" of studio sessions for //The River// album.

These are not professionally made recordings. They were never intended to be. It seems Springsteen only used a common, run-of-the-mill cassette recorder. None of these songs exhibit a finished songwriting product. These are song fragments, both musically and lyrically. There is much stopping and starting heard as Springsteen records bits and pieces, manually stops the recorder then returns sometime later to add more ideas… and so on and so forth. Probably the most fascinating things heard on these tapes are Bruce’s attempts to write in a reggae style – these attempts can be found amongst the audio from late 1979 and early 1980.

These recordings can provide an interesting, though often monotonous, glimpse into how Bruce goes about his creative writing process. But very little of this material is listener-friendly and is probably not worth obtaining unless you’re a die-hard completist. Springsteen definitely progressed some of these song fragments and ideas to completion – we have studio end product to attest to that. Songs in development here include "The River", "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)", "Two Hearts", and "Jackson Cage" to name just four. However most of these titles are likely to have gone little further than what one hears on these tapes.

Part Two - Solo Sessions Details (By Session)

code 1) Recorded at Springsteen’s home in Holmdel, NJ, January 1979 to June 1979. code Note: Early working of "The River", both lyrically and melodically. Note: Unremarkable tune with mostly intelligible lyrics. Note: Lyrics are unintelligible. Note: Listed on the 'Lost Masters IX' CD as "Untitled #3". Mostly unintelligible lyrics. Note: Mostly unintelligible lyrics. Note: A full band rehearsal was later recorded during the 'Telegraph Hill' sessions in March 1979. Note: V2 is a single take of Bruce working on the song, with mostly audible lyrics. V1, V3 and V4 are partial, interrupted takes. This demo evolved into a song rehearsed with the band in March 1979, a recording of which exists in private collections. The title of the 1979 song is unknown but see the River sessions page for the song potentially titled "Love Will Be The Name" for more details. A song titled "Love Won't Let You Down", included on a handwritten document that dates from the //River// sessions, may be the same song. The demo has no apparent connection to "My Love Will Not Let You Down". Note: Instrumental guitar riff (no lyrics). Note: V1 appears to be primarily harmonies with bluffed lyrics. V2 includes some clearer lyrics, although it's obvious the song is in the very early stages of development. Note: Solely harmonies. Note: V1 appears to be relatively well-developed with intelligible lyrics. Note: V1 is actually two takes of Bruce working on the start and end, singing the lead guitar part over his acoustic. It's clear that he thinks he's onto something. V2 is well developed, with the lyrics of the first and third verses almost complete. Note: Other than the title, totally unintelligible lyrics. Harmonies would later be used in "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart". Note: Promising song, although the lyrics are dominated by the repetition of "Baby Don't Go". Note: aka "Janey Needs A Shooter". V1 has no lyrics, V2 includes the first two verses. Springsteen would rehearse the song with the band during the Telegraph Hill sessions in March/April 1979 but was probably never a realistic candidate for the album. Note: Would later be rehearsed with the band during the Telegraph Hill sessions in March 1979. Note: Six acoustic "takes", although V3 and V4 are combined into a single track on the 'Lost Masters VIII' CD. Possibly rehearsed with the band during the Telegraph Hill sessions, although no recordings circulate. A song called "Protection" was subsequently recorded with the E Street Band in 1982 before the track was donated to Donna Summer, but these acoustic demos have little to do with that song, aside from the title. Note: Thematically similar to "Jackson Cage", includes some lyrics from "The River". Springsteen answers the telephone during V4. Note: Would eventually evolve into "Be True". V4 includes some familiar lyrics. Note: V1 and V2 are combined into a single track on LM-8. V1 is the guitar riff, V2 is very reminiscent of "Wages Of Sin". V3 has Springsteen singing the harmony. Note: V2 has Springsteen singing harmonies over the Telegraph Hill band rehearsal take. Note: Fascinating work-in-progress acoustic take probably recorded just a day or so after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident of March 28, 1979. By April 3 the song would be completed and recorded at The Power Station, showing just how fast Springsteen could transition a song from demo to finished article. Note: V1 and V2 are early work-in-progress takes. V3 seems a little more progressed. Note: aka "Living In A Dollhouse". Note: Harmonies and guitar practice. Note: Brief snippets of an acoustic demo heard in Thom Zimny's documentary about the making of //The River//. Includes some of the well-known lyrics, including "is a dream a lie that don't come true, or is it something worse". code 2) Recorded at Springsteen’s home in Holmdel, NJ, September 1979 to December 1979. code Note: Rehearsed with the band during the Telegraph Hill sessions in November 1979. Note: aka "Blackwood". Brief, but promising, demo. Note: Note: brief acoustic demo Note: aka "Baby I Don't Know". Note: aka "Looking Out For Number One (Mr. Outside)". The officially released V3 is an edited version of V1. Note: Springsteen just repeats the title. Note: Promising tune with a reggae-style beat. Note: Work-in-progress version. Listed as "Slow Fade" in the Lost Masters liner notes, but it bears no resemblance to that song, which is known from February 1980 Telegraph Hill rehearsals. Note: Springsteen sings over a tape of a band rehearsal recorded in January 1980. Note: Mostly unintelligible lyrics. Note: Bruce would return to this work-in-progress in 1981, during a break in The River Tour. Springsteen asks an unidentified person if it is "time to eat?" at the end of the take. Not related to the Claudine Clark song with the same title which Springsteen covered in 1975. Note: V1 is the chorus, V2 is familiar, but much slower than the final album take. Possibly sourced from May 1979. code 3) Recorded at Springsteen’s home in Holmdel, NJ during January-February 1980. code Note: Punkish song. The two takes are combined into one track on 'Lost Masters VII'. Note: Thematically similar to "Stockton Girls". Four takes, V1 appears to be full-length with some bluffed vocals. Note: Thematically similar to "Stockton Boys". Note: Chorus is similar to the album, but the verse heard here is very different. Note: aka "Down In Whitetown". Contains some lyrics that would end up in "Jackson Cage". Note: Lyrically familiar, but melodically different to the LP version. Note: A reggae song.
 * ** LOVE IS A GUN - V2 ** .. || ** 4:26 ** . || ** LM-9 ** . ||
 * ** LOVE IS A GUN - V2 ** .. || ** 4:26 ** . || ** LM-9 ** . ||

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